1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,040 ♪♪ 2 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:12,220 Numbers, numbers, numbers. 3 00:00:12,220 --> 00:00:14,220 It's hard to imagine modern-day horse racing 4 00:00:14,220 --> 00:00:16,880 without all the numbers and without all the computers 5 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:18,480 that have to crunch those numbers, 6 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:20,960 computers that calculate odds and payoffs. 7 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:22,700 Indeed, computers have had a major effect 8 00:00:22,700 --> 00:00:25,200 on all kinds of gambling, not just horse racing, 9 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:27,860 everything from computerized slot machines in Vegas 10 00:00:27,860 --> 00:00:30,600 to massive databases for professional gamblers. 11 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,160 Today, we take a look at computers and gambling 12 00:00:33,160 --> 00:00:36,100 on this edition of the Computer Chronicles. 13 00:00:36,100 --> 00:00:59,360 ♪♪ 14 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:02,060 The Computer Chronicles is made possible by Leading Edge, 15 00:01:02,060 --> 00:01:04,300 makers of IBM-compatible computer systems, 16 00:01:04,300 --> 00:01:06,700 including word processing with spelling correction, 17 00:01:06,700 --> 00:01:08,840 communication software, and Hays-compatible 18 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:11,540 1200 and 2400 baud modems. 19 00:01:11,540 --> 00:01:14,880 Leading Edge, with over 1,000 service centers nationwide. 20 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:18,080 Leading Edge, leading the way to the information age. 21 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:20,340 Additional funding is provided by McGraw-Hill, 22 00:01:20,340 --> 00:01:21,680 publishers of Byte. 23 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:24,220 Byte's detailed technical articles on new hardware, 24 00:01:24,220 --> 00:01:26,380 software, and languages cover developments 25 00:01:26,380 --> 00:01:29,060 in computer technology worldwide. 26 00:01:29,060 --> 00:01:34,560 ♪♪ 27 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:35,960 Welcome to the Computer Chronicles. 28 00:01:35,960 --> 00:01:38,660 I'm Stuart Shafae, and with me this week is George Morrow. 29 00:01:38,660 --> 00:01:40,000 George, you got kind of interested down there 30 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,140 at the racetrack, so I got a daily racing form here, 31 00:01:42,140 --> 00:01:43,400 and this little computer. 32 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:45,440 I enter all the data here from the racing form 33 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:47,240 into the computer, and the computer predicts 34 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:49,240 which horses are most likely to win the race. 35 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:50,520 We'll see if it works. 36 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:52,340 Seems to me using a computer to figure out 37 00:01:52,340 --> 00:01:53,740 which horse is going to win a race 38 00:01:53,740 --> 00:01:55,380 is really the same thing as using a computer 39 00:01:55,380 --> 00:01:57,380 to figure out, say, which stock is going to win on Wall Street. 40 00:01:57,380 --> 00:01:58,820 I think you're right, Stuart. 41 00:01:58,820 --> 00:02:00,760 People that do this for a living, 42 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:02,860 that give you odds on horses, are handicappers. 43 00:02:02,860 --> 00:02:06,320 People that do the same thing or advise you about stocks, 44 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:08,660 I think they admit to handicapping a stock. 45 00:02:08,660 --> 00:02:12,260 So here, computers are helping you form judgments. 46 00:02:12,260 --> 00:02:13,900 They're an analytical tool. 47 00:02:13,900 --> 00:02:15,100 There's another aspect of gambling, 48 00:02:15,100 --> 00:02:16,800 which is the chance part of it. 49 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:18,640 And there, in games of pure chance, 50 00:02:18,640 --> 00:02:20,240 I think computers are being used to help you 51 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:22,880 entertain yourself as you put your money in these machines. 52 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:24,580 George, we're going to see both those examples, 53 00:02:24,580 --> 00:02:25,840 in fact, on the program. 54 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:28,040 We're going to start out by taking a trip to Reno, Nevada, 55 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:29,980 to see how computers have revolutionized 56 00:02:29,980 --> 00:02:33,020 the casino business. 57 00:02:33,020 --> 00:02:37,120 Enormous casinos with extravagant neon displays, 58 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:41,200 stacks of cards and chips on green felt tables, 59 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:43,260 and clanging slot machines. 60 00:02:43,260 --> 00:02:45,940 These are the traditional symbols of gambling. 61 00:02:45,940 --> 00:02:48,160 But in America's casino capitals, 62 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:50,980 poker chips are increasingly sharing the floor 63 00:02:50,980 --> 00:02:54,340 with microchips, especially in the slot machines. 64 00:02:54,340 --> 00:02:57,520 Yeah, the poker machine is a prime example of that, 65 00:02:57,520 --> 00:02:59,280 which for all intents and purposes 66 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:00,740 didn't even exist 10 years ago. 67 00:03:00,740 --> 00:03:06,720 And it's approximately 34% to 36% of the Nevada market today. 68 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,480 At the International Gaming Technology Corporation 69 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,760 in Reno, Nevada, slot machines have little in common 70 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:15,420 with their clanking mechanical ancestors. 71 00:03:15,420 --> 00:03:18,100 These slots are sophisticated PCs, 72 00:03:18,100 --> 00:03:20,760 controlled by an Intel microprocessor. 73 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:24,840 And they feature special graphics and sound chips. 74 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:27,300 They're even designed by computer. 75 00:03:27,300 --> 00:03:30,340 Putting a coin in the slot is almost like booting up. 76 00:03:30,340 --> 00:03:33,340 Basically, when you put your money in the machine, 77 00:03:33,340 --> 00:03:35,620 and let's take the example of a slot machine, 78 00:03:35,620 --> 00:03:38,260 and you pull a handle, at that point in time, 79 00:03:38,260 --> 00:03:42,960 the microcomputer is programmed to pick a random number, 80 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:46,720 actually compute a random number using a 32-bit random number 81 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:48,100 generator. 82 00:03:48,100 --> 00:03:50,740 It will then take that 32-bit number, 83 00:03:50,740 --> 00:03:53,660 and it will basically divide it down 84 00:03:53,660 --> 00:03:56,580 to a number which is within the range of the number 85 00:03:56,580 --> 00:04:00,140 of symbols on the real strips in the machine. 86 00:04:00,140 --> 00:04:03,700 And it will determine what the outcome of the game is to be. 87 00:04:03,700 --> 00:04:07,100 Since the game's outcome is determined electronically, 88 00:04:07,100 --> 00:04:09,220 the spinning reels are included just 89 00:04:09,220 --> 00:04:11,660 to preserve the traditional external appearance 90 00:04:11,660 --> 00:04:14,900 of the game, an aspect of great importance to casino 91 00:04:14,900 --> 00:04:15,900 operators. 92 00:04:15,900 --> 00:04:20,220 In some cases, the electronics scare them away. 93 00:04:20,220 --> 00:04:24,220 To be specific, if we have a real machine simulated 94 00:04:24,220 --> 00:04:28,220 on a video device, and we have all kinds of animation, 95 00:04:28,220 --> 00:04:30,700 and I think you may have seen some examples of that, 96 00:04:30,700 --> 00:04:34,260 that didn't necessarily turn on the slot player. 97 00:04:34,260 --> 00:04:38,620 It just was too much of a computer screen, 98 00:04:38,620 --> 00:04:39,780 is our impression. 99 00:04:39,780 --> 00:04:44,140 Whereas in a poker game, it's the same technology involved, 100 00:04:44,140 --> 00:04:47,220 but they love that. 101 00:04:47,220 --> 00:04:49,340 Concealed within the friendly interface 102 00:04:49,340 --> 00:04:52,120 is a high level of electronic security, 103 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:55,620 such as optical readers that can tell if a coin is being dropped 104 00:04:55,620 --> 00:04:58,720 in or pulled out of the slot, and sensors 105 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:01,380 that detect if a door is open or if someone 106 00:05:01,380 --> 00:05:03,380 has tampered with the reels. 107 00:05:03,380 --> 00:05:06,460 Slot machines are tied into a local area network that 108 00:05:06,460 --> 00:05:10,020 transmits any discrepancies to the central computer room, 109 00:05:10,020 --> 00:05:14,420 specifying the kind of fault and the machine's number. 110 00:05:14,420 --> 00:05:17,820 At the Harrah's Casino in Reno, a game called Megabucks 111 00:05:17,820 --> 00:05:21,740 uses the latest in fiber optics and even satellite transmission 112 00:05:21,740 --> 00:05:23,540 to tie hundreds of machines together 113 00:05:23,540 --> 00:05:26,020 to a central jackpot computer. 114 00:05:26,020 --> 00:05:28,420 As each coin drops, the amount of the bet 115 00:05:28,420 --> 00:05:30,740 is transferred by fiber optic cable 116 00:05:30,740 --> 00:05:33,100 to the casino's computer center. 117 00:05:33,100 --> 00:05:36,500 The mainframe recalculates and transmits the new jackpot 118 00:05:36,500 --> 00:05:40,220 to an LED display on the casino floor. 119 00:05:40,220 --> 00:05:43,700 The same system operates between casinos around the state 120 00:05:43,700 --> 00:05:45,900 over a satellite link. 121 00:05:45,900 --> 00:05:48,540 Keno is another game that has been radically changed 122 00:05:48,540 --> 00:05:50,500 by computer processing. 123 00:05:50,500 --> 00:05:53,740 While paper tickets are still written out by the player, 124 00:05:53,740 --> 00:05:57,100 all data entry, number reading, and bet tabulation 125 00:05:57,100 --> 00:05:59,660 are done by computer, which can process 126 00:05:59,660 --> 00:06:04,580 the results of the game in about 22 seconds. 127 00:06:04,580 --> 00:06:07,780 Harrah's machines are equipped with more than coin slots. 128 00:06:07,780 --> 00:06:10,020 The new generation of one-armed bandits 129 00:06:10,020 --> 00:06:12,400 is more like the automatic teller machine 130 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:15,260 at a bank, with some important differences. 131 00:06:15,260 --> 00:06:17,780 You can't make withdrawals or deposits, 132 00:06:17,780 --> 00:06:21,300 but the casino will issue personal identification cards 133 00:06:21,300 --> 00:06:22,740 to any interested customer. 134 00:06:22,740 --> 00:06:37,780 Joining us in the studio now is Robin Cobby. 135 00:06:37,780 --> 00:06:39,740 Robin's president of Computer Sports World. 136 00:06:39,740 --> 00:06:41,860 And next to Robin is Roxy Roxborough. 137 00:06:41,860 --> 00:06:43,620 Roxy's an odds maker from Las Vegas 138 00:06:43,620 --> 00:06:45,300 and generally considered to be the top odds 139 00:06:45,300 --> 00:06:46,180 maker in the country. 140 00:06:46,180 --> 00:06:47,140 George. 141 00:06:47,140 --> 00:06:50,300 Robin, Computer Sports World is a database 142 00:06:50,300 --> 00:06:51,740 of sports statistics. 143 00:06:51,740 --> 00:06:53,100 It's owned by the Chronicle. 144 00:06:53,100 --> 00:06:55,620 How does that work together? 145 00:06:55,620 --> 00:06:57,740 Well, many newspapers in the last several years 146 00:06:57,740 --> 00:07:00,580 have wanted to get involved in new forms of communication 147 00:07:00,580 --> 00:07:03,340 and communication database services. 148 00:07:03,340 --> 00:07:05,100 And Computer Sports World was one 149 00:07:05,100 --> 00:07:08,300 of those companies that was out there that was in a good market. 150 00:07:08,300 --> 00:07:09,540 It was a good concept. 151 00:07:09,540 --> 00:07:11,340 And it was something that the Chronicle was 152 00:07:11,340 --> 00:07:12,980 very interested in pursuing. 153 00:07:12,980 --> 00:07:14,940 This is almost a unique database. 154 00:07:14,940 --> 00:07:16,860 Does anybody else offer anything like this? 155 00:07:16,860 --> 00:07:18,620 Not exactly like this. 156 00:07:18,620 --> 00:07:20,380 We're an online database, which means 157 00:07:20,380 --> 00:07:22,860 that if you have a computer and a modem or a communicating 158 00:07:22,860 --> 00:07:25,580 terminal, you can sign on to us making a local phone 159 00:07:25,580 --> 00:07:27,340 call 24 hours a day. 160 00:07:27,340 --> 00:07:28,460 Wow. 161 00:07:28,460 --> 00:07:30,260 And Roxy, you use this database. 162 00:07:30,260 --> 00:07:33,220 Yes, it's an instrumental part of making the odds. 163 00:07:33,220 --> 00:07:34,780 What's your opinion of it? 164 00:07:34,780 --> 00:07:37,260 Well, I think it's fantastic because it 165 00:07:37,260 --> 00:07:38,940 takes a lot of time away that I used 166 00:07:38,940 --> 00:07:41,420 to have to spend doing handwritten notes 167 00:07:41,420 --> 00:07:42,940 and keeping a lot of statistics. 168 00:07:42,940 --> 00:07:44,540 So it keeps track of everything that you 169 00:07:44,540 --> 00:07:45,580 need to know to make odds. 170 00:07:45,580 --> 00:07:45,780 Right. 171 00:07:45,780 --> 00:07:47,340 And it files and organizes everything. 172 00:07:47,340 --> 00:07:48,460 Were you able, in fact, before you 173 00:07:48,460 --> 00:07:50,020 had computers and databases like this, 174 00:07:50,020 --> 00:07:52,860 keep track of the incredible volume of stats and numbers 175 00:07:52,860 --> 00:07:53,700 to make odds? 176 00:07:53,700 --> 00:07:55,700 Well, we did. 177 00:07:55,700 --> 00:07:56,500 And we may do. 178 00:07:56,500 --> 00:07:58,260 But we do a much better job now. 179 00:07:58,260 --> 00:07:59,740 So you feel that you're a lot more 180 00:07:59,740 --> 00:08:01,460 accurate having this database? 181 00:08:01,460 --> 00:08:02,340 Much more accurate. 182 00:08:02,340 --> 00:08:04,900 And you have to remember, the gamblers have this database, 183 00:08:04,900 --> 00:08:05,180 too. 184 00:08:05,180 --> 00:08:07,620 So that's one of the reasons we need to keep on top of it. 185 00:08:07,620 --> 00:08:09,980 Are you aware of people in the gambling business 186 00:08:09,980 --> 00:08:12,740 that use it as extensively as you do? 187 00:08:12,740 --> 00:08:15,740 Yes, there are players, gamblers that use it, yes. 188 00:08:15,740 --> 00:08:17,460 Robin, let's take a look at the system now 189 00:08:17,460 --> 00:08:18,860 and show us the kinds of things you 190 00:08:18,860 --> 00:08:19,900 can get out of this database. 191 00:08:19,900 --> 00:08:21,980 And we're online right now to your service, right? 192 00:08:21,980 --> 00:08:22,540 Right. 193 00:08:22,540 --> 00:08:25,020 The first thing we're going to want to do is, right now, 194 00:08:25,020 --> 00:08:26,140 we're looking at it live. 195 00:08:26,140 --> 00:08:30,260 So we're watching the information come right in. 196 00:08:30,260 --> 00:08:31,980 The first thing a subscriber would see, 197 00:08:31,980 --> 00:08:32,940 it's very easy to use. 198 00:08:32,940 --> 00:08:36,620 You'd get you only go in by entering three-digit codes. 199 00:08:36,620 --> 00:08:38,660 And you'll get a menu that looks like this 200 00:08:38,660 --> 00:08:39,740 that'll lead you to that. 201 00:08:39,740 --> 00:08:42,060 Right now, we're looking at information coming in live. 202 00:08:42,060 --> 00:08:44,180 If I'd like to look, if I want to look at a match-up, 203 00:08:44,180 --> 00:08:46,620 for example, which is a file that Roxy uses quite a bit, 204 00:08:46,620 --> 00:08:49,020 I type in three digits, it immediately comes up. 205 00:08:49,020 --> 00:08:49,940 So you can go anywhere in the system with three digits. 206 00:08:49,940 --> 00:08:52,300 This is an NCAA basketball match-up, yes. 207 00:08:52,300 --> 00:08:52,860 Three digits. 208 00:08:52,860 --> 00:08:53,860 What do you get from that, Roxy? 209 00:08:53,860 --> 00:08:55,300 Whenever you have Georgia Tech and DePaul, 210 00:08:55,300 --> 00:08:57,380 I see right away that DePaul's 13-0 at home. 211 00:08:57,380 --> 00:08:59,380 That means they're unbeaten on their home court. 212 00:08:59,380 --> 00:09:01,620 That's going to make them a pretty good favorite, even 213 00:09:01,620 --> 00:09:03,700 over a good ACC team like Georgia Tech. 214 00:09:03,700 --> 00:09:06,660 I can see that Georgia Tech's only 6-6 on the road. 215 00:09:06,660 --> 00:09:08,420 It also shows me all their spread records. 216 00:09:08,420 --> 00:09:11,260 And it shows me the last five games that each team's played. 217 00:09:11,260 --> 00:09:12,820 OK, so you can get home field advantage, 218 00:09:12,820 --> 00:09:13,780 all that kind of stuff. 219 00:09:13,780 --> 00:09:16,300 What about NBA basketball? 220 00:09:16,300 --> 00:09:17,660 Show us an example there, Robin. 221 00:09:17,660 --> 00:09:20,980 Well, we got a box score we can take a look at. 222 00:09:20,980 --> 00:09:23,220 After each game is over, we go over the box scores 223 00:09:23,220 --> 00:09:25,720 to make sure that all the key players for both teams played. 224 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:29,420 Here's a game where San Antonio played Dallas last night. 225 00:09:29,420 --> 00:09:31,700 Now, San Antonio's players are coming across right here 226 00:09:31,700 --> 00:09:35,860 where all their starters played and their major reserves. 227 00:09:35,860 --> 00:09:38,420 And then we'll check Dallas. 228 00:09:38,420 --> 00:09:40,300 And this is something you would do every day? 229 00:09:40,300 --> 00:09:41,300 Yes, after each game is over. 230 00:09:41,300 --> 00:09:42,300 What does this show you? 231 00:09:42,300 --> 00:09:44,860 Well, right now I see where Dallas' star point guard, 232 00:09:44,860 --> 00:09:45,900 Derek Harper, didn't play. 233 00:09:45,900 --> 00:09:47,860 In fact, he wasn't even a reserve. 234 00:09:47,860 --> 00:09:49,420 So I'll have to find out why. 235 00:09:49,420 --> 00:09:50,780 Beautiful presentations. 236 00:09:50,780 --> 00:09:51,860 OK, and how do you do that? 237 00:09:51,860 --> 00:09:52,540 What are you doing, Robin? 238 00:09:52,540 --> 00:09:53,700 We go right to the injuries. 239 00:09:53,700 --> 00:09:54,860 314 are the injuries for NBA. 240 00:09:54,860 --> 00:09:56,060 OK, so you've got a special injury database. 241 00:09:56,060 --> 00:09:56,420 Right. 242 00:09:56,420 --> 00:09:58,820 And then we'll check up to see if they have any reason that 243 00:09:58,820 --> 00:10:02,420 maybe Harper didn't play last night for Dallas. 244 00:10:02,420 --> 00:10:05,140 OK, so let's get to Dallas. 245 00:10:05,140 --> 00:10:05,940 What's it tell you? 246 00:10:05,940 --> 00:10:08,340 Well, it says that Harper's got an infected toe 247 00:10:08,340 --> 00:10:11,540 and also reserve guard Al Woods got a strained left shoulder. 248 00:10:11,540 --> 00:10:12,820 They both missed Friday's game. 249 00:10:12,820 --> 00:10:15,140 They're expected to see limited action, if any, on Saturday. 250 00:10:15,140 --> 00:10:16,980 So I know that when they play Golden State tonight, 251 00:10:16,980 --> 00:10:19,020 they'll have to make some slight adjustment in the line. 252 00:10:19,020 --> 00:10:20,780 OK, what about baseball, Robin? 253 00:10:20,780 --> 00:10:22,300 That's a statistics crazy game. 254 00:10:22,300 --> 00:10:23,860 What can you show us on baseball? 255 00:10:23,860 --> 00:10:26,340 Baseball, let me show you the index of our baseball 256 00:10:26,340 --> 00:10:27,820 statistics. 257 00:10:27,820 --> 00:10:32,100 This is where we really have a lot of statistics, 258 00:10:32,100 --> 00:10:33,700 baseball being so statistical. 259 00:10:33,700 --> 00:10:35,220 And we do go back several years. 260 00:10:35,220 --> 00:10:36,540 Look at that, yeah. 261 00:10:36,540 --> 00:10:38,860 So you can see how left-handed pitchers do versus right 262 00:10:38,860 --> 00:10:42,020 handers, how you do on astroturf versus grass, how pitchers 263 00:10:42,020 --> 00:10:44,180 do after so many days off. 264 00:10:44,180 --> 00:10:45,180 It's all there. 265 00:10:45,180 --> 00:10:46,900 And it's very easy to get at, too. 266 00:10:46,900 --> 00:10:48,380 Yes, three digits and you're there. 267 00:10:48,380 --> 00:10:48,780 And Roxy, you would use all this stuff 268 00:10:48,780 --> 00:10:50,380 in putting the line on a baseball game? 269 00:10:50,380 --> 00:10:51,100 I use a lot of it. 270 00:10:51,100 --> 00:10:53,580 The keys are how the teams do against righties and lefties 271 00:10:53,580 --> 00:10:55,180 and day-night performance. 272 00:10:55,180 --> 00:10:56,860 OK, can you tell us who's going to win the pennant this year, 273 00:10:56,860 --> 00:10:57,820 Robin? 274 00:10:57,820 --> 00:10:59,140 We do have the odds on that. 275 00:10:59,140 --> 00:11:00,980 We're probably one of the first up there. 276 00:11:00,980 --> 00:11:02,780 Roxy provides that with us. 277 00:11:02,780 --> 00:11:05,060 Well, if you're a New Yorker, you'll probably be happy. 278 00:11:05,060 --> 00:11:06,820 Because we've got both New York teams' favorite, 279 00:11:06,820 --> 00:11:08,700 the Mets, to repeat and win the National League. 280 00:11:08,700 --> 00:11:10,060 They're seven to five favorites. 281 00:11:10,060 --> 00:11:12,420 And the Yankees, to be the American League champions, 282 00:11:12,420 --> 00:11:13,780 are seven to two favorites. 283 00:11:13,780 --> 00:11:15,360 Roxy, there's lots of different sports 284 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:16,780 that people gamble on, obviously. 285 00:11:16,780 --> 00:11:18,180 I was wondering, any particular sport 286 00:11:18,180 --> 00:11:20,060 in which the computer is really a big advantage? 287 00:11:20,060 --> 00:11:22,380 Yes, it's the biggest advantage in college basketball, 288 00:11:22,380 --> 00:11:25,820 because we have to chart and track 162 teams. 289 00:11:25,820 --> 00:11:27,140 There's thousands of variables. 290 00:11:27,140 --> 00:11:29,140 There's injuries to chart for every team. 291 00:11:29,140 --> 00:11:31,020 There's just so much that without this service, 292 00:11:31,020 --> 00:11:32,260 it would be almost impossible. 293 00:11:32,260 --> 00:11:33,060 Huge database, then. 294 00:11:33,060 --> 00:11:33,500 Yes. 295 00:11:33,500 --> 00:11:34,340 I guess, Robin, as you said, you're 296 00:11:34,340 --> 00:11:35,860 the Dow Jones of the sports world. 297 00:11:35,860 --> 00:11:36,900 Of the sports world, right. 298 00:11:36,900 --> 00:11:38,300 Robin, Roxy, thank you very much. 299 00:11:38,300 --> 00:11:39,980 As we saw at the beginning of the program, 300 00:11:39,980 --> 00:11:41,900 horse racing depends very much on computers 301 00:11:41,900 --> 00:11:42,900 for its betting system. 302 00:11:42,900 --> 00:11:45,400 And one of the newest and most modern computerized betting 303 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:47,300 systems is here at Golden Gate Fields 304 00:11:47,300 --> 00:11:48,740 in the San Francisco Bay Area. 305 00:11:48,740 --> 00:11:50,060 Wendy Woods has that report. 306 00:11:50,060 --> 00:12:01,500 While certain traditions at the track 307 00:12:01,500 --> 00:12:04,460 will never fall under the spell of technology, 308 00:12:04,460 --> 00:12:06,420 the business of racetrack betting 309 00:12:06,420 --> 00:12:08,700 has, at many fields, been automated to a level 310 00:12:08,700 --> 00:12:12,180 as sophisticated as the nation's election system. 311 00:12:12,180 --> 00:12:15,220 Unlike the old days of just a few years ago, 312 00:12:15,220 --> 00:12:18,300 relay systems and tallying by individual clerks 313 00:12:18,300 --> 00:12:22,340 have been replaced by massive computerized betting systems. 314 00:12:22,340 --> 00:12:25,260 Here at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, California, 315 00:12:25,260 --> 00:12:28,500 the odds, the race results, and up to $3 million 316 00:12:28,500 --> 00:12:32,120 in bets placed daily pass through seven continuously 317 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:35,380 operating phone lines to the brains of the operation, 318 00:12:35,380 --> 00:12:39,020 a mainframe at the nearby Bay Meadows racetrack. 319 00:12:39,020 --> 00:12:40,780 Bettors can still go face to face 320 00:12:40,780 --> 00:12:43,740 with humans for their wagers, but the clerks all 321 00:12:43,740 --> 00:12:46,620 use terminals linked up to the system. 322 00:12:46,620 --> 00:12:49,540 The more adventurous bettor can use a self-serve betting 323 00:12:49,540 --> 00:12:53,500 machine or the newest touchscreen terminals. 324 00:12:53,500 --> 00:12:56,220 They bet and collect with vouchers 325 00:12:56,220 --> 00:13:00,420 that can be used for an entire day of winning or losing. 326 00:13:00,420 --> 00:13:02,300 Even the tote board on the track is 327 00:13:02,300 --> 00:13:05,580 controlled and automatically updated by this one computer 328 00:13:05,580 --> 00:13:06,900 system. 329 00:13:06,900 --> 00:13:10,620 Marty Miller of Amtote is the brains behind the operation. 330 00:13:10,620 --> 00:13:13,820 It's actually very simple because we have access 331 00:13:13,820 --> 00:13:15,260 to the computer at Bay Meadows. 332 00:13:15,260 --> 00:13:17,860 And I can go back to just any window in a plant 333 00:13:17,860 --> 00:13:20,820 here and tell them exactly where they stand with their wagers, 334 00:13:20,820 --> 00:13:22,780 how many tickets they've sold, what 335 00:13:22,780 --> 00:13:25,340 they have done in their last four transactions. 336 00:13:25,340 --> 00:13:27,740 Sometimes if they forget where they are, 337 00:13:27,740 --> 00:13:29,340 we can help them balance out. 338 00:13:29,340 --> 00:13:32,580 He adds computerized betting is not only efficient, 339 00:13:32,580 --> 00:13:33,700 it's honest. 340 00:13:33,700 --> 00:13:35,820 22 years, every penny that we've ever 341 00:13:35,820 --> 00:13:39,820 handled in mutual handle has been accounted for. 342 00:13:39,820 --> 00:13:43,260 We know exactly what each clerk sells. 343 00:13:43,260 --> 00:13:46,140 We know exactly on the old system what they cashed. 344 00:13:46,140 --> 00:13:47,460 They would balance to the penny. 345 00:13:47,460 --> 00:13:49,820 We would count the tickets, what the payoffs were, 346 00:13:49,820 --> 00:13:51,060 how much the state got. 347 00:13:51,060 --> 00:13:52,660 Every penny, every penny has been 348 00:13:52,660 --> 00:13:54,340 accounted for over the years. 349 00:13:54,340 --> 00:13:56,460 Things haven't always gone this smoothly. 350 00:13:56,460 --> 00:13:59,140 On the day that new cards were issued for the machines, 351 00:13:59,140 --> 00:14:00,740 the system crashed. 352 00:14:00,740 --> 00:14:02,940 Golden Gate Fields officials soothed tempers 353 00:14:02,940 --> 00:14:05,340 by issuing free rain checks for a day 354 00:14:05,340 --> 00:14:07,620 that the computers were back up. 355 00:14:07,620 --> 00:14:09,940 Amtote's computerized betting systems 356 00:14:09,940 --> 00:14:13,220 are installed in thousands of racetracks worldwide. 357 00:14:13,220 --> 00:14:15,740 And that's a pretty good track record. 358 00:14:15,740 --> 00:14:18,500 In Albany, California, for the Computer Chronicles, 359 00:14:18,500 --> 00:14:19,300 I'm Wendy Woods. 360 00:14:19,300 --> 00:14:32,980 With us in the studio now is Bob Archer, 361 00:14:32,980 --> 00:14:35,660 president of PDS Software of Torrance, California. 362 00:14:35,660 --> 00:14:38,180 Next to Bob is Professor Michael Orkin, co-founder 363 00:14:38,180 --> 00:14:39,740 of Best Bet Software. 364 00:14:39,740 --> 00:14:40,240 George. 365 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:45,140 Mike, Roxy is a really good, skilled odds maker. 366 00:14:45,140 --> 00:14:48,020 And he seems to have an edge by looking at the data 367 00:14:48,020 --> 00:14:50,180 and understanding where he can get access to it. 368 00:14:50,180 --> 00:14:52,180 But he doesn't seem to be using computers 369 00:14:52,180 --> 00:14:54,300 and doing any analysis. 370 00:14:54,300 --> 00:14:55,460 Can you comment on that? 371 00:14:55,460 --> 00:14:58,220 Well, if he had a program that picked the lines 372 00:14:58,220 --> 00:15:01,580 and there was a bias in it, the bettors would pick up on it, 373 00:15:01,580 --> 00:15:04,620 any slight bias, and they would start betting accordingly. 374 00:15:04,620 --> 00:15:08,020 And as a result, he'd get locked into a system that would 375 00:15:08,020 --> 00:15:10,540 cause the bookmakers to lose. 376 00:15:10,540 --> 00:15:14,500 But couldn't he use a program to keep track of that 377 00:15:14,500 --> 00:15:18,260 and to modify that and to actually become a better odds maker? 378 00:15:18,260 --> 00:15:22,460 Well, I'm sure he uses computers to keep up with data. 379 00:15:22,460 --> 00:15:24,980 But if he had a program that actually picked the line, 380 00:15:24,980 --> 00:15:27,540 he would have to keep modifying it. 381 00:15:27,540 --> 00:15:29,260 Because if there were any biases, 382 00:15:29,260 --> 00:15:31,140 maybe some would occur from time to time. 383 00:15:31,140 --> 00:15:35,780 But when he picks a line, he is going through analysis. 384 00:15:35,780 --> 00:15:36,280 That's right. 385 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:38,460 But it's a very dynamic process. 386 00:15:38,460 --> 00:15:40,260 And he has to keep up with what's going on. 387 00:15:40,260 --> 00:15:44,420 And there's so many factors that for him to get locked into a program, 388 00:15:44,420 --> 00:15:45,700 which could be very dangerous. 389 00:15:45,700 --> 00:15:48,500 So right now, he's doing better by staying away from a program. 390 00:15:48,500 --> 00:15:48,660 Right. 391 00:15:48,660 --> 00:15:51,860 He's doing better by staying away from a program that actually picks the line. 392 00:15:51,860 --> 00:15:54,380 However, he's relying on computers to provide him 393 00:15:54,380 --> 00:15:55,800 with all of the data that he needs. 394 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:57,580 Bob, you're handicapping horses now. 395 00:15:57,580 --> 00:15:59,220 Is that also a little bit subjective? 396 00:15:59,220 --> 00:16:01,180 Or can you really reduce that to statistics? 397 00:16:01,180 --> 00:16:03,620 No, it would always be subjective. 398 00:16:03,620 --> 00:16:07,660 The computer is an instrument whereby the user 399 00:16:07,660 --> 00:16:11,700 would be able to manipulate all the data to where he wants it, 400 00:16:11,700 --> 00:16:15,980 so that he has it all in one mode to where he can use it to actually make 401 00:16:15,980 --> 00:16:17,460 his selection from it. 402 00:16:17,460 --> 00:16:20,300 Show us what you would do with your software here in handicapping a race, 403 00:16:20,300 --> 00:16:20,800 Bob. 404 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:25,380 Well, basically, our program would work under a principle 405 00:16:25,380 --> 00:16:29,700 of entering the data from the racing form for each particular horse 406 00:16:29,700 --> 00:16:31,180 in this particular race today. 407 00:16:31,180 --> 00:16:32,980 So what kind of variables do you have there? 408 00:16:32,980 --> 00:16:37,820 Basically, we have three variables for the race itself 409 00:16:37,820 --> 00:16:40,540 and approximately 11 variables for the horse. 410 00:16:40,540 --> 00:16:41,940 First, you have the horse's name. 411 00:16:41,940 --> 00:16:43,700 His number of starts, let's say, are 12. 412 00:16:43,700 --> 00:16:44,820 He's got three wins. 413 00:16:44,820 --> 00:16:49,540 He's got a total earnings of $67,890. 414 00:16:49,540 --> 00:16:52,220 And he's been away from the racetrack for 23 days. 415 00:16:52,220 --> 00:16:55,660 He was second, let's say, in his last race, had his first call. 416 00:16:55,660 --> 00:16:57,940 Again, this is information you're pulling off the data 417 00:16:57,940 --> 00:16:58,780 in the racing form. 418 00:16:58,780 --> 00:16:58,780 Right out of the racing form. 419 00:16:58,780 --> 00:16:59,740 That's correct. 420 00:16:59,740 --> 00:17:02,140 His track category, let's say he's racing at Santa Anita, 421 00:17:02,140 --> 00:17:04,620 his track category would be number one. 422 00:17:04,620 --> 00:17:06,620 The distance in his furlongs, he went a mile, 423 00:17:06,620 --> 00:17:08,460 so it's going to be eight furlongs. 424 00:17:08,460 --> 00:17:11,060 His speed rating of his best race of the last three 425 00:17:11,060 --> 00:17:14,740 was 90, with a track variant of 12. 426 00:17:14,740 --> 00:17:16,700 He had a top 10 jockey on his back, 427 00:17:16,700 --> 00:17:19,460 and his trainer rating was a 12.33. 428 00:17:19,460 --> 00:17:20,340 OK. 429 00:17:20,340 --> 00:17:22,340 We've now entered profiles for three different horses. 430 00:17:22,340 --> 00:17:24,180 Let's pretend it's a three-horse race now. 431 00:17:24,180 --> 00:17:26,260 Can you go in and analyze these three horses now? 432 00:17:26,260 --> 00:17:26,940 Yes. 433 00:17:26,940 --> 00:17:30,980 We would, at this point, come up with the next screen. 434 00:17:30,980 --> 00:17:34,020 We'd enter zero, and it's going to calculate and put all three 435 00:17:34,020 --> 00:17:35,460 horses in their proper order. 436 00:17:35,460 --> 00:17:36,920 And you've got a power rating suggesting 437 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:39,300 that Bosto is most likely to win the race among these three 438 00:17:39,300 --> 00:17:39,800 horses. 439 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:41,140 Bosto, that is correct. 440 00:17:41,140 --> 00:17:43,700 Bosto is the favorite here. 441 00:17:43,700 --> 00:17:47,060 He has a power rating exceeding 12 points. 442 00:17:47,060 --> 00:17:48,940 We're looking for a 3 and 1 half point 443 00:17:48,940 --> 00:17:51,700 spread between the first horse and the second horse 444 00:17:51,700 --> 00:17:54,060 in order to have what we call a playable race, 445 00:17:54,060 --> 00:17:58,020 subject to the handicapper's own personal biases at that point. 446 00:17:58,020 --> 00:18:00,020 Bob, what exactly is the software doing? 447 00:18:00,020 --> 00:18:02,260 How is it coming up with that rating for those horses? 448 00:18:02,260 --> 00:18:05,860 It is comparing the input of all the data 449 00:18:05,860 --> 00:18:10,940 on each individual item to a predetermined set of standards 450 00:18:10,940 --> 00:18:12,620 that it has to compare against. 451 00:18:12,620 --> 00:18:13,620 With a weighting factor. 452 00:18:13,620 --> 00:18:15,420 With a weighting factor to each one of them 453 00:18:15,420 --> 00:18:17,660 that then comes up and compares all 10 of them 454 00:18:17,660 --> 00:18:19,180 horses against each other. 455 00:18:19,180 --> 00:18:21,060 OK, Bob, if I can ask you to pass the keyboard over 456 00:18:21,060 --> 00:18:21,580 to Mike now. 457 00:18:21,580 --> 00:18:23,100 And Mike, you've got a program that 458 00:18:23,100 --> 00:18:25,940 helps a guy betting on football, not the horses, right? 459 00:18:25,940 --> 00:18:26,440 Right. 460 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:27,780 And what does the software do? 461 00:18:27,780 --> 00:18:31,580 The software has every NFL game since 1979. 462 00:18:31,580 --> 00:18:34,280 And it provides its self-contained database. 463 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:36,020 It comes on one floppy disk, and it 464 00:18:36,020 --> 00:18:38,860 allows the person interested in football 465 00:18:38,860 --> 00:18:42,060 to ask questions about how teams have done in various situations. 466 00:18:42,060 --> 00:18:43,900 Show us the kinds of questions you'd ask it. 467 00:18:43,900 --> 00:18:45,220 Well, I've entered on the program 468 00:18:45,220 --> 00:18:49,760 now a look at all New York Giants games since 1983, 469 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:51,340 in which they lost the week before 470 00:18:51,340 --> 00:18:53,020 and played on the road the week before. 471 00:18:53,020 --> 00:18:54,540 And a veteran might actually ask that question. 472 00:18:54,540 --> 00:18:55,220 Yes. 473 00:18:55,220 --> 00:18:56,860 This week, the Giants might be playing at home. 474 00:18:56,860 --> 00:18:57,700 They lost last week. 475 00:18:57,700 --> 00:18:59,580 Maybe they really want to win. 476 00:18:59,580 --> 00:19:02,020 Notice they've won at the top on the left. 477 00:19:02,020 --> 00:19:05,140 They've won against a spread 66.7% of the time. 478 00:19:05,140 --> 00:19:09,380 At the bottom, they've won at home against a spread 61% 479 00:19:09,380 --> 00:19:12,820 of the time, away against a spread two games. 480 00:19:12,820 --> 00:19:14,900 You can also get a list of the games 481 00:19:14,900 --> 00:19:16,740 and see exactly what games were played 482 00:19:16,740 --> 00:19:19,660 under those conditions, what the spread was, whether they won 483 00:19:19,660 --> 00:19:21,020 or lost against the spread. 484 00:19:21,020 --> 00:19:23,360 OK, Mike, things like suppose I had a question about what's 485 00:19:23,360 --> 00:19:24,860 a home field advantage on a Monday night game. 486 00:19:24,860 --> 00:19:26,420 OK, you can look at day of the week. 487 00:19:26,420 --> 00:19:30,180 In fact, let's go down and do that. 488 00:19:30,180 --> 00:19:33,780 And just look at all Monday night games since 1983. 489 00:19:33,780 --> 00:19:35,260 So day of the week is down there. 490 00:19:35,260 --> 00:19:36,180 I'll do. 491 00:19:36,180 --> 00:19:40,100 And in this case, the stats will come up just for the home team 492 00:19:40,100 --> 00:19:41,340 straight up versus the spread. 493 00:19:41,340 --> 00:19:42,820 Is this an important question for a veteran? 494 00:19:42,820 --> 00:19:44,140 Well, it's one of the many things 495 00:19:44,140 --> 00:19:46,340 that a veteran wants to know about when trying 496 00:19:46,340 --> 00:19:47,660 to decide what team to pick. 497 00:19:47,660 --> 00:19:49,000 And what's the program tell you? 498 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:51,060 Well, that on Monday night, the home team 499 00:19:51,060 --> 00:19:54,500 has beat the spread 59.4% of the time since 1983. 500 00:19:54,500 --> 00:19:55,980 So they got a little bit of an edge. 501 00:19:55,980 --> 00:19:56,300 They have. 502 00:19:56,300 --> 00:19:57,480 Well, they have a little bit of knowledge 503 00:19:57,480 --> 00:19:59,100 there that they might put in with some other stuff 504 00:19:59,100 --> 00:20:00,900 that they'll also find on this database. 505 00:20:00,900 --> 00:20:02,660 Mike, how much of an advantage is it really 506 00:20:02,660 --> 00:20:04,740 for a better to have a piece of software 507 00:20:04,740 --> 00:20:06,020 like this and this kind of information? 508 00:20:06,020 --> 00:20:08,140 Well, it enables the better to answer a question 509 00:20:08,140 --> 00:20:09,060 in a couple of seconds. 510 00:20:09,060 --> 00:20:11,460 It might take them a few hours to do by hand 511 00:20:11,460 --> 00:20:13,540 or maybe not even to be able to answer at all. 512 00:20:13,540 --> 00:20:16,180 So his edge here is he's got a lot of data altogether. 513 00:20:16,180 --> 00:20:16,860 Right. 514 00:20:16,860 --> 00:20:18,260 Mike, Bob, thank you very much. 515 00:20:18,260 --> 00:20:19,760 Now, one of the most popular forms 516 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:22,500 of gambling in this country is betting on state lotteries. 517 00:20:22,500 --> 00:20:24,900 One of the oldest and most sophisticated state lotteries 518 00:20:24,900 --> 00:20:26,500 is the one in Pennsylvania, where they 519 00:20:26,500 --> 00:20:29,180 use computers quite a bit. 520 00:20:29,180 --> 00:20:31,980 The Pennsylvania Lottery. 521 00:20:31,980 --> 00:20:35,020 Each year, Pennsylvania sells more than a billion dollars 522 00:20:35,020 --> 00:20:36,260 in lottery tickets. 523 00:20:36,260 --> 00:20:38,180 And when the jackpot gets big enough, 524 00:20:38,180 --> 00:20:41,700 that can mean a sales volume of up to one million transactions 525 00:20:41,700 --> 00:20:42,700 an hour. 526 00:20:42,700 --> 00:20:45,340 None of this would be possible without computers. 527 00:20:45,340 --> 00:20:47,220 And indeed, the Pennsylvania Lottery 528 00:20:47,220 --> 00:20:49,860 has a massive investment in computers. 529 00:20:49,860 --> 00:20:53,140 Retailers sell lottery numbers from online terminals. 530 00:20:53,140 --> 00:20:56,860 Computers recreate each day's games on a separate IBM backup 531 00:20:56,860 --> 00:20:59,580 system to ensure the integrity of the games. 532 00:20:59,580 --> 00:21:03,100 Computers are used to analyze sales, project jackpots, 533 00:21:03,100 --> 00:21:05,820 and to monitor the actual betting. 534 00:21:05,820 --> 00:21:07,300 The Pennsylvania Lottery, in fact, 535 00:21:07,300 --> 00:21:09,900 runs one of the most complex computer networks, 536 00:21:09,900 --> 00:21:13,500 with nearly 3,000 terminals on a controlled data system. 537 00:21:13,500 --> 00:21:17,480 The system has 100% redundancy and a hot backup. 538 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:20,900 So one rarely hears that the computer is down. 539 00:21:20,900 --> 00:21:23,620 In 10 years, and your viewers would be interested to know 540 00:21:23,620 --> 00:21:29,460 that, our uptime is 99.98%, as close to perfection 541 00:21:29,460 --> 00:21:33,540 as you possibly could get with an online system. 542 00:21:33,540 --> 00:21:37,580 I don't remember a major downtime since 1977 543 00:21:37,580 --> 00:21:38,820 when we first began. 544 00:21:38,820 --> 00:21:41,160 One of the primary functions of the computer system 545 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:44,500 is to constantly monitor the lottery's payoff liability 546 00:21:44,500 --> 00:21:47,020 to make sure that no one can break the bank. 547 00:21:47,020 --> 00:21:50,200 On the Big Four game, which pays odds of 5,000 to 1, 548 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:52,120 the computer makes sure that the state is never 549 00:21:52,120 --> 00:21:56,460 exposed to a liability in excess of $5 million per game. 550 00:21:56,460 --> 00:21:58,980 If it senses heavy betting on one particular number, 551 00:21:58,980 --> 00:22:01,860 in this case 11-11, it sends out a warning 552 00:22:01,860 --> 00:22:04,240 and then cuts off betting on that number. 553 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:05,860 Heavy betting on a particular number 554 00:22:05,860 --> 00:22:07,840 often occurs because lottery players 555 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:10,820 tend to follow common patterns in picking numbers. 556 00:22:10,820 --> 00:22:14,700 For example, years ago when Pete Rose was with Philadelphia 557 00:22:14,700 --> 00:22:19,420 and he had his certain number of hits, they played that number. 558 00:22:19,420 --> 00:22:21,500 They played the Super Bowl score. 559 00:22:21,500 --> 00:22:23,580 They played the Jewish New Year. 560 00:22:23,580 --> 00:22:25,620 They played the Chinese New Year. 561 00:22:25,620 --> 00:22:28,240 While the computer system assures a random drawing 562 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:31,740 every time, the law of averages takes a while to work. 563 00:22:31,740 --> 00:22:34,300 We've had over 3,100 daily number drawings, 564 00:22:34,300 --> 00:22:36,820 pick three drawings, in 10 years. 565 00:22:36,820 --> 00:22:39,540 However, there are two or three dozen numbers 566 00:22:39,540 --> 00:22:42,640 that haven't come up out of 3,100 drawings. 567 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:44,620 And there are only 1,000 numbers. 568 00:22:44,620 --> 00:22:46,980 The lottery's computers have many safeguards 569 00:22:46,980 --> 00:22:50,220 to protect against being broken into. Games are shut down 570 00:22:50,220 --> 00:22:54,100 exactly 168 seconds prior to the winning drawing 571 00:22:54,100 --> 00:22:56,420 so that all computer tapes can be removed. 572 00:22:56,420 --> 00:22:59,860 That way no one can enter a winning number after the drawing. 573 00:22:59,860 --> 00:23:02,780 And the computer experts here actually hire hackers 574 00:23:02,780 --> 00:23:04,820 and challenge them to try to break in 575 00:23:04,820 --> 00:23:06,660 so that they can spot any weaknesses 576 00:23:06,660 --> 00:23:08,780 which may exist in the system. 577 00:23:08,780 --> 00:23:10,700 Seven years ago, the Pennsylvania lottery 578 00:23:10,700 --> 00:23:12,540 did fall victim to a scandal, 579 00:23:12,540 --> 00:23:14,820 but it had nothing to do with the computers. 580 00:23:14,820 --> 00:23:17,060 Most of the balls which are used in the drawings 581 00:23:17,060 --> 00:23:20,440 were weighted so that only sixes would rise to the top. 582 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:22,700 But a slow motion analysis of the drawing 583 00:23:22,700 --> 00:23:24,940 coupled with detailed computer analysis 584 00:23:24,940 --> 00:23:27,260 led investigators to the culprits. 585 00:23:27,260 --> 00:23:30,520 Offline processing showed exactly 586 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:32,980 where these bets were coming from. 587 00:23:32,980 --> 00:23:35,620 We went to those retailers, found out 588 00:23:35,620 --> 00:23:36,980 who was sitting in the white Cadillac 589 00:23:36,980 --> 00:23:39,220 placing all those bets, and basically 590 00:23:39,220 --> 00:23:42,220 were able to convict on the computer evidence. 591 00:23:42,220 --> 00:23:44,100 But despite all the computers, 592 00:23:44,100 --> 00:23:46,300 when it comes to calculating the payoffs, 593 00:23:46,300 --> 00:23:48,260 no one trusts the computers. 594 00:23:48,260 --> 00:23:49,980 The numbers are crunched manually 595 00:23:49,980 --> 00:23:52,160 with a good old fashioned desk calculator, 596 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:54,200 some paper, and a pencil. 597 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:55,640 When you're sitting alone in the middle of the night 598 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:56,940 giving away millions of dollars, 599 00:23:56,940 --> 00:24:00,360 you have to be absolutely sure you're doing it perfectly. 600 00:24:00,360 --> 00:24:02,900 And that's our look at computers and gambling. 601 00:24:02,900 --> 00:24:04,140 We'll be back in just a minute 602 00:24:04,140 --> 00:24:06,060 with this week's computer news. 603 00:24:06,060 --> 00:24:18,700 I'm Susan Chase, sitting in for Stuart Shafae 604 00:24:18,700 --> 00:24:20,900 in the Random Access File this week. 605 00:24:20,900 --> 00:24:24,660 NCR Corporation unveiled a new line of personal computers. 606 00:24:24,660 --> 00:24:27,140 NCR introduced two AT compatibles, 607 00:24:27,140 --> 00:24:30,420 one 286 machine and one 386 workstation. 608 00:24:30,420 --> 00:24:32,300 The machines are based on NCR's 609 00:24:32,300 --> 00:24:33,980 incremental workstation architecture 610 00:24:33,980 --> 00:24:36,580 and they'll be available later this year. 611 00:24:36,580 --> 00:24:39,060 Hewlett Packard announced three new technical computers 612 00:24:39,060 --> 00:24:41,900 and said that the 930 and 950 business computers 613 00:24:41,900 --> 00:24:45,740 announced in 1986 will finally ship this fall. 614 00:24:45,740 --> 00:24:47,940 All five of the computers are based on the technology 615 00:24:47,940 --> 00:24:51,660 of reduced instruction set computing, or RISC. 616 00:24:51,660 --> 00:24:53,040 Digital equipment and Cray Research 617 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:54,680 will soon introduce a new interface 618 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:56,280 between their computers. 619 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:58,700 The new product, a combination of digital hardware 620 00:24:58,700 --> 00:25:01,020 and Cray software, is part of an effort 621 00:25:01,020 --> 00:25:02,300 to speed up data transfer 622 00:25:02,300 --> 00:25:04,780 between the two companies' computers. 623 00:25:04,780 --> 00:25:05,860 Digital will market the interface 624 00:25:05,860 --> 00:25:08,220 in an effort to step up pressure on IBM 625 00:25:08,220 --> 00:25:10,860 in the scientific computing market. 626 00:25:10,860 --> 00:25:12,620 And now it's time for this week's software review 627 00:25:12,620 --> 00:25:14,900 and here's Paul Schindler. 628 00:25:14,900 --> 00:25:16,680 You know, maybe I would be better at this 629 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:20,140 if I'd had a computer when I was young. 630 00:25:20,140 --> 00:25:22,300 Well, to help your kids do better, 631 00:25:22,300 --> 00:25:25,700 here's some top flight Macintosh educational software, 632 00:25:25,700 --> 00:25:29,060 Kids Time, a collection of five educational games. 633 00:25:29,060 --> 00:25:31,060 Now first, there's Connect the Dots. 634 00:25:31,060 --> 00:25:33,700 When you're done, the computer redraws it. 635 00:25:33,700 --> 00:25:36,220 Then there's A-B-Key, which takes advantage 636 00:25:36,220 --> 00:25:38,100 of the Mac's sophisticated sound. 637 00:25:38,100 --> 00:25:40,580 It names the letters your child types. 638 00:25:41,820 --> 00:25:44,100 Match It is a matching game with logic. 639 00:25:44,100 --> 00:25:46,020 It starts with a robot puzzle. 640 00:25:46,020 --> 00:25:49,180 Each piece you get wrong, the computer pulls back out. 641 00:25:50,100 --> 00:25:52,660 Kids Notes will play a song and will also allow you 642 00:25:52,660 --> 00:25:54,580 to compose and record your own. 643 00:25:55,980 --> 00:25:59,020 Story Writer reads the story as you write it 644 00:25:59,020 --> 00:26:01,100 or all at once at the end. 645 00:26:01,100 --> 00:26:03,060 ♪ I was walking down the street I saw a chasing leaf rate ♪ 646 00:26:03,060 --> 00:26:06,220 ♪ With a human custodiage ♪ 647 00:26:06,220 --> 00:26:08,700 Kids Time is world-class educational software 648 00:26:08,700 --> 00:26:12,160 for the Apple Macintosh, $50 from Great Wave Software 649 00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:13,700 in Stanford, California. 650 00:26:13,700 --> 00:26:16,140 For the Computer Chronicles, I'm Paul Schindler. 651 00:26:17,180 --> 00:26:19,020 News from the spring COMDEX in Atlanta 652 00:26:19,020 --> 00:26:20,500 has started to trickle in. 653 00:26:20,500 --> 00:26:22,500 Sharp plans to introduce two portables, 654 00:26:22,500 --> 00:26:26,180 one a clone of the PC-AT called the PC-7200 655 00:26:26,180 --> 00:26:28,220 and the other, the PC-4500, 656 00:26:28,220 --> 00:26:30,500 is compatible with the PC-XT. 657 00:26:30,500 --> 00:26:33,020 And Samsung will show off its new clones. 658 00:26:33,020 --> 00:26:35,940 The SAM-88T is designed to be XT compatible 659 00:26:35,940 --> 00:26:39,380 and the SAM-286 is an AT compatible machine. 660 00:26:39,380 --> 00:26:42,160 Finally, Japanese companies are working on a new method 661 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:44,180 of software distribution that is designed 662 00:26:44,180 --> 00:26:46,340 to eliminate software piracy. 663 00:26:46,340 --> 00:26:47,980 Called the Software Service System, 664 00:26:47,980 --> 00:26:51,300 the product is a box that attaches to existing computers 665 00:26:51,300 --> 00:26:53,440 or could be built into new computers. 666 00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:55,220 Software would not run on the computer 667 00:26:55,220 --> 00:26:56,920 until the box authorized it. 668 00:26:56,920 --> 00:26:59,700 Users would purchase a special card to activate the box 669 00:26:59,700 --> 00:27:02,580 and give credit for any software the user wanted to buy. 670 00:27:02,580 --> 00:27:05,160 Users would be encouraged to copy software 671 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:07,820 but be prevented from using it without paying for it. 672 00:27:07,820 --> 00:27:10,320 And that's it for this week's Computer Chronicles. 673 00:27:12,260 --> 00:27:14,100 ♪♪ 674 00:27:14,100 --> 00:27:16,820 The Computer Chronicles is made possible by Leading Edge, 675 00:27:16,820 --> 00:27:19,060 makers of IBM-compatible computer systems, 676 00:27:19,060 --> 00:27:21,460 including word processing with spelling correction, 677 00:27:21,460 --> 00:27:22,660 communication software, 678 00:27:22,660 --> 00:27:26,280 and Hays-compatible 1200 and 2400 baud modems. 679 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:29,620 Leading Edge, with over 1,000 service centers nationwide. 680 00:27:29,620 --> 00:27:32,860 Leading Edge, leading the way to the information age. 681 00:27:32,860 --> 00:27:35,100 Additional funding is provided by McGraw-Hill, 682 00:27:35,100 --> 00:27:36,420 publishers of Byte. 683 00:27:36,420 --> 00:27:38,980 Byte's detailed technical articles on new hardware, 684 00:27:38,980 --> 00:27:41,140 software, and languages cover developments 685 00:27:41,140 --> 00:27:43,260 in computer technology worldwide. 686 00:27:43,260 --> 00:27:58,260 ♪♪ 687 00:27:58,260 --> 00:28:23,260 ♪♪